An Cosantóir

| 17 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE As the training nights and weekends progressed, new skills like camouflage and concealment and fieldcraft were covered, preparing us for our tactical block in April. Our NCOs and Officers stressed the importance of building up our physical fitness outside of training hours to ensure we were capable of withstanding the rigors and physical robustness that lay ahead. New friendships and old friendships were consolidated during this training period, and there was a high level of excitement for the challenge of our 72-hour exercise in the Glen of Imaal during the FTT period. This would mark the first time for many of us being "on the ground," and as a result, it posed a significant amount of uncertainty for us. The NCOs and Officers instructed us on the personal admin side of sustaining ourselves on the ground, this included cooking our ration packs, personal hygiene, introduction to Patrol Harbours, setting up a bivvie, use of the wet/dry routine and the organisation of an Infantry Company / Platoon / Section. The tempo of the course increased massively, with constant kit inspections, lectures, and further practical training. We were then allocated our final sections for the tactical block and were introduced to our Section Commanders. Immediately, Section and Unit pride kicked in, and every section was as eager as the next to perform to the best of their ability. For Pte Joey Moore, 1MIC DFTC, the course was a case of "like father, like son" as Joey's father had previously served in F Coy, 9th Infantry Battalion (FCA) joining in 1992. Sgt John Fennelly, 1 MIC has the notable honour of training both Pte Moore junior and senior. Lessons continued on the tactical aspect of military training, and we were introduced to patrolling, field signals, section battle drills, and CBRN. The Unit competitiveness was further highlighted when each unit nominated three students to represent them in a CBRN Immediate Action Race. With each Unit roaring and cheering on their peers, it ultimately culminated in a student from the DFTC losing their voice for a number of days, worth every bit of it in their view! The first week of FTT was spent training in the DFTC ahead of the course moving to Coolmooney Camp in the Glen of Imaal for week two. As the first week came to an end, students were pushed physically and mentally, with constant practice of section attacks and patrolling. The never-ending kit inspections continued, and we prepared to leave the DFTC. We moved out of the DFTC and occupied Coolmoney Camp prior to our 72-hour exercise. At this point, there was significant eagerness to commence the 72-hour exercise, combined with the nerves of what to expect. We received our orders from the Platoon Commander the night before our exercise commenced, and before we knew it, we were out of the transport, providing all-round cover before marching to our selected patrol harbour near Stranahely wood. We began setting up our Bivvies and getting accustomed to what would be our home for the next 72 hours. There was no drop in operational tempo, with immediate patrolling exercises taking place, including obstacle crossings, nighttime patrolling drills, and a Platoon-level ambush on an enemy patrol. The obstacle crossings provided students with a rewarding opportunity in applying theoretical lessons on bump and scroll, short halt and long halt to real terrain that demanded adaptive learning and instruction from the NCOs and Officers. Likewise, the nighttime patrolling drills also provided students with a humbling appreciation in how darkness can have a profound effect in diminishing your senses. Our instructors ensured any lapse in drill resulted in a repeat of the movement until correct. This repetition helped our course gel as a team and our drills became committed to muscle memory. Our Platoon Commander, Lt Ciaran Curran, organised a Platoon-level ambush on an enemy patrol which provided students with a valuable insight into the selection of an ambush site, the siting and positioning of each component and how the stop groups and kill groups operated for an ambush to be successful. The various tactics, techniques and procedures learned during Three Star training provided us with the foundational knowledge for our careers in the Reserve. With theoretical and practical lessons on patrolling, section attacks, land navigation, field signals, and CBRN, it now gave us skills required to commence continuation, career, and specialist courses in the Reserve in the future. As I write this article reflecting on the course so far, it has provided me with a massive sense of reward, fulfilment and pride to be a member of the Reserve Defence Force. On return to my civilian occupation as a Firefighter/Paramedic, the training has further strengthened my skills in teamwork, communication, discipline, and physical and moral courage. Due to the large array of benefits and challenges that the Reserve provides, I am looking forward to what I hope is a long career where I can continue my learning and professional development and hopefully one day be involved in the training of new recruits. On a final note, I want to thank all of the Soldiers, NCOs and Officers for their enormous dedication and commitment in providing us with instruction and support on this highly challenging course. The logistical co-ordination to train, feed, move and accommodate over fifty students and instructors is a huge task and was effortlessly done by 2 BDE TPT and 1 MIC.

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